


I Am Born

by lionessvalenti



Category: The Black Tapes Podcast
Genre: Darkness, Gen, Late Night Conversations, Trick or Treat: Chocolate Box
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 07:19:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12501924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: Alex still can't sleep. Despite the late hour, she makes a phone call.





	I Am Born

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ninj](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninj/gifts).



Alex stared into the darkness that eventually became her ceiling. The red light of her charging cell phone illuminated the nightstand. She'd flipped it over to hide the light, and then brought back the light, unable to decide which would aid her sleepless night better.

Did she still need a nightlight? Or could she face the darkness alone? Would the little light keep the demons at bay?

There's no such thing as demons, she thought, trying to channel Dr. Strand's confidence on the subject. After everything she had seen Alex couldn't be so sure.

But was it the threat of demonic activity that kept her from sleeping?

With a frustrated sigh, Alex grabbed the phone and checked the time. 2:18. She'd turned out the lights nearly two hours before and all she'd done is contemplate the darkness, and what could be lurking behind it.

She pulled the charge cord from the phone and sat up, the bright light of the home screen filling the room. She scrolled through her recent contacts. No one would be awake right now. She'd certainly called Nic at two in the morning before, but not because she was scared of the dark.

No, not scared. Just... wary. Painfully aware. Not only of the supernatural that could be following her, but that if she didn't sleep soon, it could kill her. At a certain point, she would completely lose grip with reality and the existence of demons wouldn't matter.

Alex tapped one of her contacts and put it on speaker phone. It rang, one, two, three, four, five--

"Alex?"

At the sound of Dr. Strand's quiet, sleep hoarse voice, Alex realized she'd made a mistake. She shouldn't have called. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have -- I can't sleep, I'm not thinking. I'll let you--"

"Alex."

Her protests died on her tongue. "Yeah?"

"You need to sleep. Tell me how I can help."

Alex's shoulders relaxed. "Can you just... stay on the line? Read something that doesn't have anything to do with ghosts or demons?"

"Are you scared?" His tone wasn't judgmental or teasing (did he know how to tease?). It was simply a question for her well being.

"I'm... I think it's just anxiety. I'm under a lot of pressure right now." She hesitated. "I'm not scared of ghosts, if that's what you were thinking."

Dr. Strand chuckled. "That's good because you know ghosts aren't real."

Alex smiled. "Well, we'll see about that."

There was some rustling on the other end of the line. "How do you feel about Dickens?"

"Like it'll put me to sleep." Alex set the phone on the pillow next to her and curled up on her side. "Dickens is perfect."

"Chapter One: I Am Born." Dr. Strand cleared his throat. "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life..."

And Alex's eyelids were already beginning to droop.


End file.
